State Notebook

October 29, 2007|- Dave Curtis and - Ted Hutton

GATORS

Gators' O-line breaks down

Entering Saturday, UF's offensive line had posted solid statistics all season. The Gators, who start two seniors and two juniors up front, had allowed just five sacks in seven games, including tests against Tennessee, Auburn and LSU.

But Georgia hurried and harrassed QB Tim Tebow most of Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville, sacking him six times in beating the Gators 42-30.

"Georgia did a good job mixing up blitzes," Tebow said afterward. "I should have made a few better protections calls, and we should have picked up a few more guys and gotten the ball out."

"People used to have to deal with us," Bowden said. "We were there. Every Saturday. ... [They were] aiming at Florida State. Now here it is the other way around.

"We're aiming at them."

It's a strange feeling for the Seminoles and Bowden. For so long they were the team with national title hopes and Heisman Trophy candidates, the ones with the red circle on their backs. Nowadays, though, they're just trying to grow up and grow quickly.

Bowden's players will now attempt to progress fast enough to challenge some of the best in the country. Even though they beat Duke, which loses so often that victories against it are difficult to gauge, FSU has gained confidence.

"We've got some work to do," nose guard Budd Thacker said. "We're going to get in practice this week, take care of some things."

OWLS

OT bites Owls this time

After going into overtime for the second straight week against a Sun Belt opponent, coach Howard Schnellenberger said he expects more close games.

"We have not dominated anybody that we have played, and that tells us where we are and it will be that way for the balance of this year," Schnellenberger said Sunday, the day after the Owls (4-4, 3-1) lost their first conference game 33-30 to Louisiana-Monroe in the third overtime.

In two of its three wins FAU had to come back from 10-point deficits, and the same was true against the Warhawks (3-5, 3-2), though the Owls weren't able to escape. ...

FAU's defense has given up more than 400 yards in seven straight games, and opponents are averaging 428.1 yards against the Owls. It's also been susceptible to the big play, such as Saturday when ULM's Calvin Watson got free for the winning 31-yard touchdown run.

"We didn't play it right and that has been our problem on defense," Schnellenberger said.